Twins GM Smith happy for Lester

Twins general manager Bill Smith isn't going there on whether he ever had a chance to acquire Jon Lester in the Johan Santana deal, but he was able to watch the end of Lester's no-hitter Monday night and chimed in with the rest of baseball on how happy he was for the Sox lefty.

"It was a great thing for Jon Lester, a great thing for the Red Sox, and a great thing for major league baseball," said Smith in his office at the Metrodome moments ago. "The thing that stood out for me was after it was over, the incredible emotion that he had and that his teammates had for him. Those weren't just pats on the back and 'Good job,' there were guys who I think had tears in their eyes. It was so emotional watching Terry Francona hugging him and saying whatever it was he said to him. This is a kid who obviously people really love. It was a neat thing to see."

Smith said the Red Sox organization should be beaming over producing such an excellent pitcher from the farm system.

"They deserve to feel pride in what this kid has accomplished because it reflects on every minor league manager, every minor league pitching coach, every strength and conditioning coach, everybody who had a hand in Jon Lester's development throughout the organization. It's a great source of pride. They have done such a great job with their organization from top to bottom. And last night when you see something like that, all the hard work and dedication all paid off. Terrific for the Red Sox."

Lester was rumored to be part of a package for Santana that also included Jacoby Ellsbury, but Smith never has confirmed or denied the package was offered by the Red Sox.